1. Field of the Invention
This invention pertains, in general, to lighting fixtures, and in particular, to a knockdown support ring for a lamp shade.
2. Description of the Related Art
In U.S. Pat. No. 4,227,822 to Weber, et al (reissued as Re. 31,798), a type of knockdown lamp shade assembly is disclosed which is relatively inexpensive and easily assembled or disassembled for storage or shipping, yet one which, when assembled, provides an attractive lighting fixture complementary to most decors.
This assembly has demonstrated satisfactory commercial success since its introduction to the market. It is believed that a large part of this success is due to its knockdown construction, which permits the fixture to be cushioned in a compact package for transport and storage, and then quickly and easily assembled for installation by either the retailer or the purchaser without tools.
A limitation on the advantages of this assembly is the size of a one of the components therein, namely, a ring frame or brace, one or more of which are used to support the ribs of the shade when it is assembled. The size of the ring frame is due to its construction, which involves forming an elongated rod into a rigid, closed, planar shape (typically hexagonal) and fusing the ends of the rod together. Because the ring frame spans the entire width of the assembled shade, its size dictates a lower bound on one of the dimensions of the container required to hold the disassembled shade. The resulting container is much larger than needed to package the balance of the assembly efficiently. It is thus desirable to reduce this dimension, thereby enabling the disassembled shade to be packaged more efficiently and compactly, while still retaining the knockdown advantages of the shade.
The present invention teaches a way to overcome this limitation and provide a knockdown lamp shade that is easily assemblable and disassemblable and which fits, when disassembled, into a much smaller container.